Banjo Paterson

"We're All Australians Now" Poem by Banjo Paterson

Australia takes her pen in hand To write a line to you, To let you fellows understand How proud we are of you. From shearing shed and cattle run, From Broome to Hobson's Bay, Each native-born Australian son Stands straighter up today.

The man who used to "hump his drum", On far-out Queensland runs Is fighting side by side with some Tasmanian farmer's sons.

The fisher-boys dropped sail and oar To grimly stand the test, Along that storm-swept Turkish shore, With miners from the west.

The old state jealousies of yore Are dead as Pharaoh's sow, We're not State children any more -- We're all Australians now!

Our six-starred flag that used to fly Half-shyly to the breeze, Unknown where older nations ply Their trade on foreign seas,

Flies out to meet the morning blue With Vict'ry at the prow; For that's the flag the Sydney flew, The wide seas know it now!

The mettle that a race can show Is proved with shot and steel, And now we know what nations know And feel what nations feel.

The honoured graves beneath the crest Of Gaba Tepe hill May hold our bravest and our best, But we have brave men still.

With all our petty quarrels done, Dissensions overthrown, We have, through what you boys have done, A history of our own.

Our old world diff'rences are dead, Like weeds beneath the plough, For English, Scotch, and Irish-bred, They're all Australians now!

So now we'll toast the Third Brigade That led Australia's van, For never shall their glory fade In minds Australian.

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Comments about this poem ("We're All Australians Now" by Banjo Paterson )

A good lesson in how nations are born from all sorts of different roots, to become united under one flag one anthem,
joining up their forces to help against oppressive invasions from dictators with evil intent. I think it good to read this poet at this moment in our own fight for liberty and freedom. Panmelys 2015
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